I'm Awake
by Seniya
Summary: When Caleb gets sick, its Will's turn to take care of him but what happens is more than either of them bargained for. Prologue to Half Asleep. [WillxCaleb]


**I'm Awake**

**By Seniya**

**Prologue to Half Asleep**

* * *

Calculus, as all teenagers know, is a cruel and terrible form of torment. And it certainly didn't help Will much that the room was so damn stuffy, the floor was too damn cold and it was too damn bad that Taranee didn't have to come over until tomorrow.

On the bed beside her lay, of all people; Caleb. You see for all his rebel leader blood, which might have been good in battles; it had still failed to protect him from a very potent enemy—the common cold.

He seemed to have taken to it worse than had been expected. He had dropped off to sleep sometime yesterday, and had, even at this very moment refused to rouse.

But of course all that could have been due to the mysterious home remedy Yan Lin had brewed, but perhaps…yes perhaps it was best not to ask questions.

* * *

The oriental lady had only just gone to bed herself.

She had stayed to keep Will company throughout the first half of her watch. But had grown tired after seeing the red head's ongoing battle with her text book.

They had been taking "watches" over Caleb's near comatose state for awhile now. Yan Lin had thought it best, so that someone would been there to administer the rest of the potion when he awoke, whilst ensuring he was still breathing if he slept during your slotted period..

Cornelia had quickly volunteered. Happily relaying the tale of the couple's latest break up and then subsequent make up.

Such events were getting far past the stage of annoying now. The two of them seemed to quarrel over everything, then resort to making out by means of apology.

* * *

Something above Will stirred. Or more accurately, someone.

"Caleb?" Will struggled to her underused feet to check for some sign of his consciousness.

A murmur answered her. She managed to crack a smile at his disheveled state.

His shirt had long been discarded due to Cornelia's imperious concern for his feverish state or perhaps due to her concern over something else …

His untamable brown locks stood now plastered onto his face.

"You look like hell" Will greeted him.

"How long was I asleep?" came a groggy reply.

Will shrugged. "Long…I did four math questions since I was here…so I can say about six hours…and that's not counting when Cornelia was with you"

"Oh God…is she still here?"

"No…_why_…are you avoiding her?"

"I just…didn't want her to get sick" he managed to croak.

"Sure, but you'll spare me the concern right?"

"You always were my favorite"

"You can spare me the sarcasm" Will rolled her eyes at the brunette. "Get up" she continued as she started a search around his room.

* * *

"What are you looking for?" Caleb began to untangle himself from his bed sheets.

"Medicine…"

"You mean that _thing_ that Hay Lin made?"

"Hay Lin made it…well that explains a lot" she paused "Do you know where it is?"

"I may have blocked it from my memory"

"Fine then…be that way, you can just die from the Meridian Malade, or whatever Yan Lin called it"

* * *

She returned to his bed side and stood in the space between his legs.

"Open up"

"What's that?" he peered at the device curiously.

"It's a thermometer; I'll put in your mouth to see how hot you are"

"I'm not putting that in my mouth…"

"I could shove it up somewhere else, like the rest of your species" she grinned.

"You'll need to explain your idiotic remarks"

She shrugged at him. "_Please_"

He grudgingly obeyed; scrunching his nose as she silently scrutinized him.

* * *

"Ouch…you're hot" she glanced at the tube. "I guess that means it's a fresh batch of drugs tomorrow"

"You're enjoying this too much"

"That's why I volunteered…" she smiled at him. It was a different smile than the others gave him, _very_ different from the flirtatious, wide toothed smirk that Cornelia always wore.

"You know what I just realized?" he asked.

"What?" she tilted her head onto a side, and feigned mock interest.

"It's late"

She laughed at his comment. "Yes Caleb, that's what happens when you sleep for a _day_"

"I'll walk you home" he stood up, towering over her petite frame.

"My hero, but I think that I can fend for myself, besides Cornelia would hunt me down if anything happened to you" she motioned for him to return to his bed.

"Right…Cornelia"

The smile died from Will's face. "Is something wrong with you two?"

"No, not really…it's just that…she's well…"

"She's Cornelia" Will finished "Don't worry, you'll get used to her…you got used to me after all"

"After all"

* * *

"Here, now go back to sleep like a good rebel leader" she chanted, slowly raising her hand in an attempt to tidy his hair.

He brushed her hand away, and she grinned again…

"You're going to have to tell me that joke someday" he released the hold on her hand.

"I'll get Irma to do it…she's funnier" she laughed again, this time causing a twinge to dance in his chest.

* * *

"Will" his voice had suddenly become low.

"Caleb" she imitated the sound of his brogue.

"Go home"

"You're always the poetic one aren't you?"

"Just…go"

She frowned, but didn't question him.

"Fine—I'll give you your _man_ privacy…you could have just asked, Irma's coming next…" she stopped. "What?" Her eyebrows furrowed together, and somehwere inside of her, a piece of her faltered under the look her was giving her.

Deep beneath those murky green depths, she saw an intensity so strong that it made her weak.

* * *

The mere scent of her was overpowering. But to see her standing before him; fully cloaked in her innocence drove him to the breaking point.

She was beautiful…why hadn't he ever noticed that before? Her skin mimicked the color of the blushing moon, the handful of freckles that were scattered across her face might have been considered an imperfection by some…but he could tell that they remained there to speak the truth.

She was a girl. Only a girl.

And he wanted her just because of that.

* * *

She sighed once, trying to expel the rebellious heat that was now coursing through her chest. It was impossible; she realized a moment later, as another surge of warmth pulsed through her body.

The heat between them was too much to ignore by now. Will tried to think of words that would remind him of the awkwardness of this situation…or better yet that would explain to herself why she needed to leave.

"There's something between us…isn't there?" it surprised her that it was he who spoke first.

Her eyes scurried towards his face, searching for any sign that the illness might have induced madness.

Her throat felt dry, and still the ability to speak hadn't returned to her. Around her the temperature seemed to rise even further…and she found herself wondering if his infection could be contagious.

He expected an answer. But there was none…yesterday she would have sworn her emotionless relationship with Caleb to God himself—but now…standing here alone in the darkened basement was forcing her to reconsider.

There was too much at stake here…friendships, hearts. She couldn't…how could he even expect her to?

* * *

She shook her head, ridding herself, at least temporarily from the spell that had been cast. Finding the strength that she had imagined lost, she turned to leave.

She was half way up the stairs before he called to her. "Why won't you answer me?"

"What do you want me to say?" Sense had abandoned her; her treacherous heart now ruled her tongue. "There isn't anything I can tell you that Cornelia hasn't already"

The bitter words hung in the air, until they fell hard, onto the floor.

* * *

When he didn't respond, she continued. "Don't bring me into this Caleb…I don't belong in between the two of you…if you're having problems…then just…" she trailed off ineptly; stunned of course by the sound of him coming towards her.

"Caleb…" he hushed her with one look. It was a gaze that burnt into her very soul, causing a pang of desire to gnaw at the insides of her.

He captured her chin in his hand, forcing her to look at him. He brushed her lips with her fingers, painfully slowly. This was wrong on so many levels.

She held his wrist within her hand.

"Someone might come…" she breathed, the feel of his burning skin against hers was suffocating.

* * *

All resolve was gone as he crushed his lips onto hers. His tongue rained along her mouth begging for an invitation. It was nothing less than a miracle when he felt the quiet glide of her lips, allowing him to continue his sultry raid inside her mouth.

His hands had somehow found the way around her waist. He pulled her towards him, closing the gap between their bodies. It caused shivers throughout her when she felt his heated skin under her fingers.

This was all happening so fast.

* * *

His lips had long left hers, and instead had discovered the wonderful flesh along her neck; he traveled downwards, grazing his teeth against her collarbone.

Her fingers curled in his hair, silently begging him to continue this assault. His name echoed from within her chest.

They broke apart, and he grinned at her. She returned the smile half way. He seemed to take this as further temptation, for in a moment he had scooped her up and rearranged her on his bed.

"Caleb…" he pressed a hard kiss on her lips to calm her, and then proceeded in joining her on the cot.

They fit together seamlessly.

* * *

He didn't give her the chance to protest, this time the kisses were rough and unrestrained. They sang his carnal needs to her, and what could she do but respond.

He had never felt this way before, and by God, he hoped that he would never again, but as he though of the writhing girl beneath him, he knew that it was a futile wish.

Her brain was exploding…her heart had already gone. She didn't know where he was taking her, but she knew that she would gladly follow.

* * *

His mouth left hers soon after these thoughts, and soon after he had removed himself from the glorious embrace.

* * *

"Why are you…" she stopped when she looked onto his face. The uninhibited passion that had been there moments before was gone; it was instead replaced by something else…something darker.

It was something that she didn't want to see there.

He tried to hide it by clutching his face in his palms.

"Will, I am so sorry" she could barely make out the words from behind his walls of protection.

She managed to shuffle herself back into a sitting position in order to stare at him.

"Caleb I don't—_please_ tell me what's wrong"

He was silent for awhile. "You were right…I shouldn't have put you between us…I made a mistake"

"A mistake" she repeated.

He nodded grimly. "Cornelia and I…we…what I mean is that I shouldn't have used you like that…I'm sorry, it won't happen again"

"And that's it?"

He continued to stare at the floor, at another time Will might have understood how awkward he must have felt, or what's more, she might have cared.

But not today.

Not _now_.

* * *

"So what am _I_ supposed to say—_thank you_?"

"Will…"

"Forget it…I'm going home…tell Hay Lin my mom wanted me or something" she had already marched her way to the door, and hadn't bothered to respond when he'd called her name.

If she had she knew that the thread of strength that she had been clinging to would have evaporated.

And she would have died if he had seen her cry.

**

* * *

**

* * *

**Author:** Well this one is for my reviewers on Half Asleep. I might, MIGHT, make this into a story. Homework is just so…blah. It's weird though, how one shots always seem to evolve. If you haven't read Half Asleep, well it's the story after this one; you might understand things a bit better after reading it. Or not, whatever.

And no I'm not really a WillxCaleb fan; I just hate CorneliaxCaleb, and will cling to alternates like you won't believe.

And yes, I did write this during my Calculus lesson. I mean who cares what a limit is anyway?


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